


Fall On Your Knees

by morphogenesis



Category: Zero Escape (Video Games)
Genre: Bickering, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:35:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22037149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morphogenesis/pseuds/morphogenesis
Summary: “I don’t like Light, I barely tolerate him,” and other lies Aoi tells himself.
Relationships: Light Field/Kurashiki Aoi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 38
Collections: ZEcret Santa 2019





	Fall On Your Knees

**Author's Note:**

> For mastermind-marius on Tumblr.

“We can all see it, oniichan,” Akane said. 

Aoi blotted at his eyes to avoid getting serum in them before giving her a look. They were masking together as they did at the end of a long week, and Akane painted her toenails in addition to it, a cute gel pink. No matter how cute she looked, Aoi did not like her implication. “I don’t like Light, I barely tolerate him,” he protested. He fanned his face to get the serum to absorb and swallowed. “What makes you think that?”

“You always fight with him.”

“Wow. Your standards are so high for me.”

“It’s not fight-fight. It’s like you’re always bickering because you want his attention. You always fight with the boys you like.”

“Well, what do I do to girls?”

“You flirt normally. It’s boring.”

Aoi got up and searched the end table holding their massive cache of skincare goods for his eye cream. Picking up one tub, he squinted to check the label before realizing he couldn’t remember if this was his tub or Akane’s tub of the exact same brand. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t like him.”

“Okay, oniichan,” Akane said in her know-it-all tone. The one she used when she was right.

*

The next time Light prodded him and he wanted to respond, Aoi had to ponder if Akane was right about him. Them. Whatever. It was so stupid, Light chuckled under his breath at Aoi’s suggestion during a meeting and Aoi could shrug that off but he wanted to add, “At least we consider my ideas.”

“Don’t put your fragile ego back on me.”

“You’re the one trying to make a scene.”

“Please stop,” Junpei said tiredly. He was often the sounding board for problems the two had with each other because their sisters wouldn’t listen to it anymore. By the look on his face he was wondering who would corner him later. “I’ll kick both of you out.”

“No, no,” Akane said although she didn’t look up from doodling on her notepad. “They’re important too.”

Aoi put his chin in his palm and rolled his eyes because the other couldn’t see it. “Yeah sure. If it makes him feel important.” After the meeting wrapped he was unfortunately cornered.

“Do you have a problem with my being here?” Light asked.

When the Fields showed up at Crash Keys’ metaphorical door, looking for a new employer, Aoi didn’t protest. He had some natural paranoia considering Crash Keys was on SOIS’ hit list, looking for any opportunity to arrest and hold them for the whole kidnapping SOIS’ agents stunt, but after a few months he started to relax because the Fields were acting trustworthy. They contributed, they were decent company at Happy Hour, and Akane and Junpei liked them.

Naturally the Fields were fairly cool to the Kurashikis for a long time, but now that they’d hustled their way up to more senior positions (Junpei’s interference he suspected, putting bugs in Akane’s ear) and attended higher management meetings, they conversed with them easily. At this point Aoi, didn’t question if they were cordial.

Yet the bickering came about because, Aoi thought, they had naturally clashing personalities; Aoi hated the need to make himself known as an intellectual and Light made comments to the effect that he found Aoi boorish and impatient. Aoi didn’t act like himself around him; he was quicker to lose his temper and more likely to engage in childish banter.

Aoi scratched his ear. “No, I have a problem with your behavior. Which is part of you, so in a way...yeah I guess I do. What about it?”

“I don’t dislike you.”

“Thanks.”

“I mean it. I…” Light made a ‘tch’ noise, pushed his hair behind his ear, and excused himself, brushing past Aoi’s shoulder as he did.

“He’s so weird,” Aoi commented to Junpei, sitting at the table forgotten, and Junpei just shook his head.

*

He was weird but he played music well. A few times he’d be humming to himself when he thought he was alone or practice his instrument and Aoi would stop and hover by the door to listen. 

“Do you play anything?” Light asked once.

“Guitar,” Aoi answered hesitantly. He had years ago but fell out of practice. “I sing though.” That he knew he was fine at; one time Junpei stood outside the bathroom door and clapped after Aoi was done singing in the shower.

“Why don’t you join me next time?”

So now Aoi had agreed to sing some lyrics Light was testing out while he played the harp. The lyrics were hand-transcribed by someone, likely Clover. Often Aoi had watched her sit in while her brother was composing, taking excellent musical notation so it could be later transcribed into Braille. The lyrics themselves were nice, some extended metaphor about the ocean but it didn’t feel trite the way it was expressed. He imagined it sounded best put to music of course. “These ain’t bad.”

“Normally I don’t write lyrics for my harp compositions, so I’m a bit nervous,” Light admitted. “Give me your honest opinion when you’re done.” He began to play and Aoi forgot how to read. After he missed the beat, Light stopped and quirked his head. “You do know where you come in right?”

“Yeah, yeah, play,” Aoi muttered, and then hummed a note, wishing he’d warmed up more before coming. When they restarted, he began to sing, the first word tremulous but he quickly stabilized and the music leant a smooth quality underneath his voice (which he didn’t think was half bad). To do it justice he had to up his singing game; he closed his eyes at the second chorus and put his effort into the meaningful words. It felt good to be wanted for this. He closed the song by humming with the music, swaying slightly. He felt a calm aura in the room and when he opened his eyes he saw Light’s head was bent at the harp but he was smiling to himself.

Clapping cut through the moment and they both startled. Aoi turned to see a small group of employees applauding their performance, all looking rapt like this was an intentional concert for them.

“Go back to work!” Aoi barked at them.

“Thank you!” Light called as they dispersed. “And thank you, Aoi. That was a good performance.” He smiled at Aoi, that gentle close-lipped but still warm smile he usually gave to his sister or Junpei, and Aoi’s blood raced through his veins. “In fact, can I ask you for a favor?”

“Sure. What?” Aoi asked, waiting and hoping it was related to him wanting Aoi around.

*

Aoi straightened the sleeves of his blazer, running his palm over what was either a wrinkle or a hallucination from nerves. He didn’t regret accepting Light’s proposal but he also wanted to disappear backstage. Instead he hovered in the doorway, watching the small stage and trying to make out people in the audience. Light had a surprisingly big following, and he said they’d appreciate Aoi’s presence even if at first they would be “intense.” Almost like he peppered that in with a smirk to make Aoi nervous, saying he would leave them wanting. Jerk.

“Get behind me,” Light said, appearing over his shoulder. “I’m the star here.”

“So why am I here?”

“Because you’re a good singer.” Light tugged on Aoi’s collar, making Aoi swat his hand away. “But I’m the headliner so get behind me.”

Aoi did so, not eager to deal with the crowd. Junpei said that Aoi loved attention of any kind but Aoi doubted that judging by how his heart was somewhere at his feet. When he felt the stage lights he perked up a bit; he watched the other catch the light and the energy of the crowd and Aoi tried to absorb that. He shifted on his feet at the mic as Light introduced him, and with a last look at the crowd he squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the music to start.

When it did he found his feet again, and as he fell into what he knew he heard the other accompanying him with humming as well as the harp. Who knew they could work together (Akane did, she would say). Aoi held his breath when he was done; the crowd had been quiet while they were performing and in the beat of silence after they finished he worried nobody liked it, and then the room applauded.

“How was that for a first timer?” Light asked the crowd and judging by his tone Aoi knew he should be insulted. “Thank you for supporting him, he was so nervous.” 

Yeah, he was definitely dead. When Aoi turned, unable to help himself, the other grabbed his shoulders, turned him to face the audience, and pushed him into a bow. After a moment he let go and bowed as well so they were in synch.

*

“No, I think you did wonderfully. They would’ve been vocal if you were disappointing.” Light swirled his straw through his drink again, a habit he had and Aoi only became aware of because he did it whenever they talked yet not when he spoke to someone else. Why he’d become so interested in Light’s drinking straws was his own secret.

“Thanks. You sure can motivate someone.” Aoi didn’t mean for it to come out as sarcastic as it did; on one level he meant it and on the other he had to keep up some semblance of banter. It was why he was startled when Light put a hand on the table, sliding it as if searching for something, and then his hand leaped to cover Aoi’s when he bumped into Aoi’s pinky finger.

“Why don’t we do that again?” he said.

“Huh?” Aoi was too focused on the physical contact, unsure how to respond in case this was a joke. They were espers but surely he hadn’t been transmitting stupid interest for as long as he’d been feeling it.

“I said why don’t we perform together again?” He squeezed Aoi’s hand, and when Aoi wrested it and put his hand on top, fought to cover it again. They tussled silently before Aoi won. “Child,” Light muttered.

“Showoff,” Aoi said and squeezed his hand over the table. “They’ll like me more than you by the time we’re done.”

Light turned his hand over so they were palm-to-palm. “Let’s see about that.”


End file.
